Page 31 of His Perfect Woman

“I’m pregnant!” I blurted finally. I clenched my eyes shut, regretting the words immediately. How could I spit it out so easily to them, but not to Lucas?

When I finally could bring myself to open my eyes again, they were both staring back at me with wide, disbelieving eyes. Jada didn’t say a word and seemed to take it upon herself to drink twice as much on my behalf. She pulled my mimosa to her side of the table and downed half of it in one go.

“Is Lucas the father?” Camille ventured to ask. “I mean, no offense, I just was never really sure if I understood all the rules of your arrangement.”

“Yes, he’s the father. This was part of our bargain,” I explained, trying to ignore the slight sting of her question. “I know this is weird...but I haven’t told him yet. So if you could please keep it to yourselves for now.”

“This is huge!” Jada managed to say in between steady sips. “We’re going to be aunts. Our little niece or nephew is growing inside of you right now!”

“Why do you not seem so thrilled?” Camille puzzled.

“No, no, I am. Really, I am. I’m thrilled about the baby. The circumstances of everything...it just feels more complicated than I had expected it to is all. Jeez, I don’t know why I’m telling you two all of this. It’s a good thing I can’t drink or there’s no telling what I’d be confessing. Anyway, it’s what we wanted. It’s just...sooner than we expected.”

I felt my cheeks turn red hot. I was talking a mile a minute and couldn’t shut up. I didn’t know what had come over me.

Camille and Jada shot sideways glances at one another. They could tell something was off. Which was fine by me, as long as they could clue me in on what it was. Truthfully, I didn’t know why I had been so on edge and uncertain about everything. Besides the obvious...which was that having a baby and arranged marriage with your best friend as a publicity stunt was probably the worst idea ever.

“Well,” Jada said slowly, after a long, awkward silence between us. “I know our brother will be a great father. He cares about you.”

“Thanks,” I sighed.

“No, I mean...he, like, really cares for you. Does that make this whole thing weird? Him being in love with you? How do you feel about him?”

My mouth dropped right along with Camille’s. “I’m sorry...what did you just say? I think you have it wrong. Lucas and I are just friends. This doesn’t change that.”

Jada didn’t look convinced. “Unless something has changed over the years, which is doubtful judging by the way he looks at you, he’s always been in love with you. You didn’t know? I just assumed it would have come up at some point.”

“I don’t think Lucas looks at her in any certain way,” Camille argued. “You’re probably just reading too much into it.”

“Yeah,” I agreed earnestly, hoping she was right.

“Are you kidding me!?” she snapped at her sister in a scolding tone. “How did you not pick up on this? I’m not assuming anything. I read it in his own words.”

“What?” I gaped, finding it harder to breathe.

“Back in high school,” she explained. “I’m younger than him, you know, and being the typical nosy, annoying little sister, I went into his room one day and started digging around in his stuff. He had all these crumpled up papers in his trash can. I thought they were from a creative writing assignment he had been dreading and I planned on making fun of him for whatever he’d written. And it was some creative writing alright...but it had nothing to do with school.”

“Jada, what the hell are you talking about?” Camille pressed her impatiently.

“They were love letters.” She shrugged. “He kept trying to spell out his feelings for you but gave up. He never gave you a letter or a note telling you how he felt?”

“No,” I murmured in shock.

“I’m sure it was just a high school crush,” Camille suggested.

“I don’t think so.” Jada laughed. “Sounded way heavier than just some fleeting crush. And anyway, I kept watching him with you after that. He gets this look in his eye around you...one I’ve never seen him have around anyone else.”

I looked to Camille, hoping she had another denial ready to go. But she fell silent. Her face twisted in deep thought, and it seemed like she was becoming more convinced right along with Jada.

“But...no. No way,” I insisted, shaking my head. “He would have told me at some point. Do you know how many times we’ve been drunk together over the years? No way it would have never come up or he wouldn’t have tried to make a move…”

“Um...Victoria? You’re pregnant with his baby and wearing an engagement ring. I think he made his move.”

“But that’s not...this isn’t…” My words trailed off into ragged, broken breaths.

“Jesus, Jada, you’re going to give her a panic attack. You okay? You look like you’re hyperventilating.”

“I am. Just a little bit. I think.”

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